Sunday, April 03, 2011

Mystical Mis-takes on Adam and Eve

A frequent writer of political emails suddenly changed his style and sent out an article on the mystical teachings of the Garden of Eden. The next day, he boasted that he received those teachings from his Indian guru many years ago, a man with whom he studied for two years in India.

Since the political writer is well known for his Jewish leanings, when he wrote this letter on mysticism many readers were sure to trust that his sources were proper, Jewish sources. They weren’t. He was quoting a man who is a leader in a religion that has at least 1000 times more gods than the number of letters in the Torah! He wrote that he plans to send out more of these teachings as he recalls them. Remember, this guru never once read the story of the Garden in Hebrew. He read a translation, at best. Yet, here he is being quoted as if he is a source to be respected.

The letter is filled with the guru’s imagination, and leanings that stem from his idolatry. Here are but a few of his obvious mistakes. Indeed, it is mind stunning that the political writer would accept the guru’s teachings as true and worthy of “sharing” with his readers.

The guru taught that, “Man was forbidden the experience of sex in the Garden.”

The Torah says that G-d commanded Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply, and this command was given while they were still in the Garden.[i] Rashi (the Torah commentator) says that their first child, Cain, was conceived in the Garden.

Why did the guru want to see the story his way? Because his religion teaches that the highest service is celibacy, and he assumes that if he follows his beliefs, he will enter the spiritual Garden. Whereas celibacy is the ideal spiritual service of the idolater, families are the required spiritual service of a Jew.

The guru taught that G-d “materialized Adam and Eve’s bodies.” The Torah says that G-d “formed” Adam’s body from the earth, and that Eve’s body was taken from Adam’s body.[ii]

Man’s body was not materialized from the air. It was formed from the dust of the ground, and when his time on earth is over, his body will return to the earth, not to the air.[iii] Eve was taken from Adam’s body to teach that a man and his wife are two halves of one that come together when they marry.

The guru also taught that the serpent in the garden is the “coiled-up spinal energy that stimulates the sex nerves….”

Why did he choose to see the serpent in this way? His religion teaches that there is a serpent power that travels up the spine, exciting different behaviors as it moves from the lower sexual areas to the higher emotional and intellectual areas. This serpent (or kundalini) power rushes up their spines taking them to the point where they experience “god-realization.” When this happens they proclaim, “I am god. I am immortal.”

The serpent in the Torah is quoted, saying to Eve, “Eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of right and wrong, and you will see that you are like G-d.[iv] You will not die.”[v] The Indian religion teaches that the serpent is a positive, wonderful thing to experience. The Torah says it is a snake! It lies!

So now the question is: Will this Jewish man who studied with that guru publicize these corrections? Will he write that should not look to teachers of other religions to learn about the literal teachings of the Torah, let alone its mystical teachings? Do you think that he will sincerely apologize to his long list of readers for misleading them? I would be happily surprised to see it happen.

I Was Right… I’m Sorry to Say

This is the Reply That He Sent to His Readers:

It appears that Reb Gutman felt my article was somewhat akin to idolatry and has nothing to do with the Torah.

With all due respect to Reb Gutman, I have lived the Torah more now than at any other time in my life, due to the Mahavatar Babaji Nagaraj (1,800 years of age) my knowledge as a Jew has been overtly advanced by my close friendship with Indian Avatars Babaji, Sri Yukteswar Guri and Parmahansa Yogananda .

I have studied spirituality with Masters in the Himalayas, comparing, for them, the Jewish Torah perceptions with the Hindu ones. It has helped me with my melding into Torah and its story and interpretations.

I appreciate Reb Gutman's position because everyone is entitled their opinion, but for your information, the significant number of deities in Hinduism reflects the number of manifestations which G-d has in our world.

Gutman’s Response:

I did not say that your writings were “akin to idolatry.” I said that they are idolatry. Not only did you totally ignore the sources in the Torah that I quoted that contradict your teachings, but now, you have revealed the depth of your idolatry. Yours is the classic mistake of idolatry.

You wrote that the “significant number of deities in Hinduism reflect the number of manifestations which G-d has in our world.”

G-d has no “number of manifestations” in our world. No single form is His. G-d is ALL. There is nothing else. [vi] He is unlimited, infinite. All existence is but a word of His breath, and He and His breath are One. There is no other.[vii]

Idolatry teaches that there are lots of manifestations of G-d, i.e. deities. The Torah teaches that G-d is All, and He is One.[viii] You pray to manifestations. We pray to G-d.

Again, please do not spread your “limited manifestation of deities” concepts to others. You will be very sorry when you realize the truth and try to straighten out those whom you have sent in the wrong direction. You won’t be able to find them.

rabbi guman you wrote a great piece and made a kiddush Hashem. i hope you can somehow reach this dangerously misinformed man. one question: please explain your "G-d is All" statement. i thought this is incorrect; only that G-d is One. the "All" part leans towards other things. can you please clarify this?

Cain was conceived not in the garden, but after the eviction occurred as a result of eating the forbidden fruit. But before we can discuss the tree of knowledge of good and evil we must first know exactly what this tree and its fruit were. Do a search: The First Scandal. Then click twice.

B"SDDear anonymous,(re:the question of Hashem is all)I think it means that Hashem is hakol yachol. That everything is being sustained by G-d volition and of course G-d is One- everything is permeated by His Will. So the 'all' is complete in the oneness. Every blade of grass is constantly being commanded to grow and if for 1 millionth of a second that would stop it would not exist any more,- chasday Hashem for the world. So by 'all' it does not G-d forbid mean separate powers other than the One True G-d, as I think that's how you interpreted the Rabbi's post. It means Ain Oid Milvado -there is no place devoid of G-d presence!